Trimming tongues



Oct, 7, 1969 E. BONAMI 3,

TRIMMING TONGUES Original Filed Dec. 29, 1966 4 Sheets-Sheet INVENTOR.

ERNEST BONAM/ Oct. 7, 1969 E. BONAMI TRIMMING 'I'ONGUES 4 Sheets-Sheet 2Original Filed Dec. 29, 1966 ATTORNEY Oct. 7, 1969 E. BONAMI TRIMMINGTONGUES Original Filed Dec. 29, 1966 4 Sheets-Sheet INVENTOR. ERNESTBONAM/ Wheat/L A TTOR/VE Y Oct. 7, 1969 E. BONAMI 3,470,580

TRIMMING 'roueuss Original Filed Dec. 29; 1966 4 Sheets-Sheet 1INVENTOR. E'RNEST BOA/AMI BY 7 8M ATTORNEY United States Patent3,470,580 TRIMMING TONGUES Ernest Bonami, Western Springs, 11].,assignor to Swift & Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of IllinoisOriginal application Dec. 29, 1966, Ser. No. 605,794. Divided and thisapplication Nov. 20, 1968, Ser.

lint. Cl. A221) /00 US. Cl. 17---]l .8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSUREThis application is a division of my copending application S.N. 605,794filed Dec. 29, 1966.

The present invention relates to improvements in the art of trimminganimal tongues, and more specifically to an improved method andapparatus for removing fatty tissue from the underside of a beef tongue.

Heretofore the trimming of tongues has been undertaken entirely by hand.The tongue is a relatively large organ consisting mainly of an extrinsicmuscle mass attaching to the gullet, or throat, of an animal and anintrinsic muscle mass, normally located in the mouth of an animal. Atslaughter the entire combined mass is removed from the gullet and mouthof an animal and the two parts are then separated. Present methods oftrimming tongues are laborious and time-consuming, requiring a greatdeal of hand labor. The tongue contains a hinge bone structure, locatedapproximately centrally of the two portions, which is quite difficult tosever. In addition to separating the gullet and mouth portions, thelatter, which is more valuable, must be parted from certain fattytissues.

It is therefore, an object of the present invention to provide animproved method and apparatus for trimming fat from animal tongues.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a method andapparatus for separating the parts and removing fat from tongues in acontinuous, rapid operation.

Generally speaking the method of the present invention involves thesevering of fatty tissues from the underside of a tongue by causing afree forward end of the tongue to be raised while cutting into the fattytissue toward the rear end thereof. Preferably the rear end of thetongue is securely held against displacement; and it is furtherpreferred that the gullet portion of the tongue be first removed fromthe mouth portion upon which the foregoing i then performed.

An apparatus for performing this method comprises a carriage means forsupporting the tongue, a lifting means for raising the forward tip ofthe tongue, and a severing means for cutting the fat from the undersideof the tongue. At least one of the carriage means and cutting means ismovable respecting the other. Similarly the apparatus preferablyincludes restraining means associated with the carriage means; and afurther cutting means for removing the gullet portion of the tongue.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will becomeapparent from the following specification read in conjunction with thedrawings in which:

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FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of an apparatus capable of carrying out themethod of the present invention shown with a tongue in position fortrimming;

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the apparatus of FIGURE 4 with the tongueremoved;

FIGURE 3 is a partial view, showing a view of tongue retaining assembly,taken along line 33 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a partial detail view in section taken at line 44 of FIGURE3; and

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of a portion of a tongue trimmed inaccordance with the invention.

More specifically, the method of the present invention may be betterunderstood by reference to the illustrations wherein a tongue generallyit) is shown in FIGURES 1 and 5. The tongue comprises a gullet portion12 and a mouth portion generally 14. The latter, shown in FIG- URE 5,possesses an enlarged area or heel 1-6 and a tip end 18. A hinge bonestructure 20 and portion of thyroid cartilage 22 terminate in thetongue. The tongue 10 is placed on a work surface with the mouth portionforwardly. The central portions of the tongue are compressed against thesurface and the tongue is separated by cutting vertically andtransversely. Then the mouth portion 14 is moved forward. While movingforward, the forward tip 18 of the tongue is raised and carried over acutting means, which is positioned horizontally to cut parallel to thework surface.

As the tongue is moved forward, the cutting means severs a layer offatty tissue 2.4 from a point behind the tip 18 to the end of the mouthportion 14. As the tip end 18 passes beyond the cutting means it isreleased to return to a horizontal position. When the trimming iscompleted the compression is released and the trimmed tongue is removedfrom the vicinity of the cutting means.

The method of the present invention allows for closely following andtrimming the depth of the fat on the underside of the tongue 10 byresiliently compressing the heel portion 16 of the tongue toward thework surface. As the tip of the tongue is raised, the entire fatty layerwill be biased toward the work surface, resulting in a substantiallyuniform depth of cut by the cutting means.

The aforementioned separating step, which preferably precedes thetrimming of fat, is the removal of the undesirable gullet portion 12from the tongue. This may be accomplished by retaining the rear of thetongue in contact with the surface and transversely moving the tongue tocontact a fixed, vertical cutting member adapted for cuttingperpendicular to the major dimension of the tongue.

An apparatus suitable for carrying out the present invention isillustrated in FIGURES 1-4. Referring to FIGURES 1 and 2, the apparatushas a frame 30 having a pair of spaced, transverse bars 34 mountedthereon. Slidably mounted for transverse reciprocation on the bars 34 isa carriage generally 36 of box frame configuration. As shown in FIGURE2, the carriage 36 is reciprocated by a hydraulic or air cylinder 38connected to the carriage 36 by a rod 40. The carriage generally 36 maybe reciprocated along bars 34 a distance approximately equal to itswidth.

Mounted on the rear end of the carriage 36 (to the left in the figures)is an endless belt conveyor 48, which can be halted, or driven in eitherforward or rearward directions by a reversible electric motor connectedthrough a belt- 52. In spaced relation in front of the conveyor 48 is atongue retaining means generally 54, having a flat floor 56, two spaced,parallel, longitudinal side walls 58, and a top 62 which is mounted atopthe side walls 58, 60 above and parallel to the floor 56. As shown inFIGURE 2, the top 62 is longitudinally shorter than the floor 56 and islocated at the rear of the assembly 54. The floor 56 is bifurcated toprovide a slot 64 extending longitudinally rearward from the front edge.

The retaining means 54 is mounted on bearings 66 slidably supported on apair of parallel, longitudinal rails 67. Rails 67 in turn are fixedlymounted on the carriage generally 36. The retaining means 54 may belongitudinally reciprocated along the rails 67 by suitable means such ascable cylinder 68 attached to certain of the bearings 66 by a cable 70trained about pulleys 72. A piston (not shown) within the cylinder isforced from one end thereof to the other, by compressed air, undercontrol of an operator. Opposite ends of the cable 70 are attached toopposite faces of the piston, and thus, the bearings 66 and retainingmeans 54 will be reciprocated.

Extending forwardly of the top 62 of the retaining means generally 54between the walls 58, 60 is a projecting bracket 80, upon which ismounted a resilient means comprised of a cylinder 82 containing a spring84 and a piston '86, as shown in the cutway in FIGURE 1. The springpresses downwardly on the piston 86, and the rod 88 which projectsdownwardly therefrom. Attached near the bottom of the rod 88 is atransverse, horizontal lifting bar 90. Attached to the bottom of the rod88 below bar 90 is a compression plate 92, which is oriented to beforced against the heel 16 of a tongue 10.

The detail of the retaining means is best appreciated by reference toFIGURES 1 and 3. Mounted on the top 62 of the retaining means 54 is atongue restraining means comprising a hydraulic cylinder 100 having arod 102 projecting downwardly therefrom. Attached to the bottom of therod 102 is a fixed block 104 extending to wall 58. An extendable block106 is reciprocably connected to the fixed block 104 by a slide 110.Tines 108 reach forwardly from the outer ends of each block 104, 106 andform cradles to receive the ends of the lifting bar 90. The fixed block104 comprises a rectangular central body 112 having transverseserrations 114 (shown in FIGURE 4) and a beveled forward edge 116 tocorrespond to the heel 16 of the tongue The outer extremity of block 104is contoured at 118 to correspond to the hinge bone and adjacentmusculature of the tongue. Similarly, the extendable block 106 iscontoured at 120. This configuration of the blocks 104, 106 has beenfound very effective in holding a tongue steady while separating thegullet 12 and mouth 14 portions.

Attached to the back side 60 of the retaining assembly 54 is ahorizontal hydraulic cylinder 122 mounted on a bracket 124. A shaft 126extends through the bracket to a yoke 128 which, in turn, extendsthrough horizontal slots in the wall 60 of the retaining means 54. Acompression plate 130, roughly corresponding to the shape of the wall60, is supported on the yoke 128 and can be forced against the side of atongue held in the retaining means. Both the compression plate 130 andretaining means wall 58 contain vertical slots through which the outerends of blocks 104, 106 extend. T ines 108 are positioned outside plate130 and wall 58; and the extendable block 106 will be thus moved by thereciprocation of plate 130 so as to conform to the size of tongue beingoperated upon. Also it is to be noted in FIGURE 3 that both wall 58 andplate 130 are vertically spaced above the floor 56 to allow passage of aknife hereinafter described.

Referring again to FIGURE 1 and 2, mounted on top of the carriage 36directly in front of the retaining means 54, is a tongue tip liftingmeans assembly generally 140. The tongue tip lifting means 140 comprisesa pair of parallel, longitudinally oriented uprights 142 fixed to theouter members of frame 36, spaced apart a distance greater than thatdistance between the outside retaining means walls 58, 60, and alignedto permit passage of the retaining means generally 54 therebetween. Theuprights 142 each have aligned, inclined slots 144 with the lower endsthereof at the rear of the upright on a level approximately even withthe floor 56 of the retaining means 54.

A transverse, horizontal bar 146 is slidably mounted in the slots 144,and has ends projecting beyond the uprights 142. Attached to the bar 146just outside uprights 142 are the forward ends of a pair of arms 148.The rear ends of the arms 148 are journalled in the rear portions of theretaining means walls 58, 60. Mounted on top of the transverse bar 146is a flat, guide plate 150, oriented with a slight forward incline.

Mounted for rotation on the carriage 36 between the uprights 142 is ahorizontal, circular cutting knife 152, driven by a motor, not shown,through a shaft 154. The level of the knife 152 is adjustable, byelevator mechanism 156, to several positions above the level of theretainer means floor 56. The shaft 154 is longitudinally aligned withthe slot in the floor 56. A discharge chute 158 for trimmings is mountedunder the rear portion of the knife 152, sloping downwardly andrearwardly, and a plow blade 160 is positioned just beneath and behindthe edge of knife 152 to split the layer of fat just prior to its beingsevered so as to divide and pass to the sides of knife shaft 154.

An endless belt discharge conveyor 168, is mounted on top of thecarriage 36, with the rear end just beyond the knife 152, and the frontend terminating at the right end of the carriage 36 (as viewed inFIGURES 1 and 2). A plurality of short transverse cleats are spacedcentrally throughout the conveyor. The conveyor 168 is powered by anelectric motor 172 mounted on the carriage 36. When the tongue tip 18falls from the lifting means 140 it will be supported and drawn forwardby this conveyor.

Mounted on the frame 30 is a transversely and vertically disposedcircular cutting knife 174, positioned to penetrate the space betweenthe feed-in conveyor 48 and the retaining means generally 54 when thecarriage 36 is transversely reciprocated along the bars 34. The knife174 is driven by an electric motor 176 through a belt 178.

In operation, the tongue trimming procedure is begun with the apparatusin the position shown in the drawings. A complete tongue, includingmouth portion 14 and gullet portion 12, is fed tip first from a suitabletable 180 or conveyor located behind the conveyor 48 onto the latter andthrough the tongue retaining assembly 54 until the tip 18 of the tongueslides over the tongue tip guide plate 150. At this point, the conveyor48 is stopped. The hydraulic cylinder 100 atop the retaining assembly 54is activated to move the block 104 downward to engage the midsection ofthe tongue. At the same time, the tongue compression plate 92 movesdownward a corresponding lower position against the tongue heel 16. Asblock 104 contacts the tongue, the tines 108 disengage from thehorizontal bar 90, and plate 92 is pressed upon the tongue heel by theresilient spring 84.

Simultaneous with the activation of the hydraulic cylinder 100 atop theretaining means generally 34, the hydraulic cylinder 122 on the side 60is also activated, causing horizontal movement of the compression plate130 to a position forcing the tongue against the opposite side wall 58,as shown in FIGURE 3. With the tongue thus positioned by the block 104(and 106) and the plates 92, 130, the motor 176 is started causingrotation of the vertical cutting knife 17-4. The hydraulic cylinder 38is then activated, causing transverse movement of the carriage 36 alongthe transverse bars 34. As the carriage 36 moves, the knife 174penetrates the sapce between the conveyor 48 and the retaining means 54,separating the gullet portion 12 from the tongue. After the separationis complete, the conveyor 48 is moved rearwardly discharging the gulletportion 12 into a suitable receptacle. The hydraulic cylinder 38 is thenreversed to return the carriage 36 to its original position. Now thatthe gullet portion 12 has been removed from the tongue, the apparatus isready to perform the trimming operation on the mouth portion generally14.

To trim the tongue, the horizontal knife 152 is started and compressedair is delivered to the cable cylinder 68 to move the retaining means 54forwardly. As the retaining means moves forward, between uprights 142,the arms 148 push the bar 146 and guide plate 150 upwardly along slots144 whereby the forward tip 18 of the tongue is lifted over the knife152. As the tongue is carried forward by the retaining means 5-4, alayer of fat 24 is split and sliced from the underside by the plow knife160 and horizontal knife 152, respectively. The fat is dropped down thedischarge chute 158 into a suitable collecting device.

After the retaining means 54 has travelled a distance sufficient topermit the knife 152 to cut the fat from the rear parts of the tongueportion 14, the hydaulic cylinders 100 and 122 on the retaining assembly54 are reversed to withdraw the block 104 and the compression plate 92from contact with the top of the tongue, and release the compressionplate 130 from contact with the side thereof.

Simultaneous with the release of the block 104 and the plates 92, 130,the rotation of the cutting knife 152 is halted and the forward movementof the retaining assembly 54 is arrested by stopping their respectiveelectric motors. At this point a large amount of the tongue will besupported on conveyor 168 which continues to move forwardly. Thus thetongue portion 14 will be drawn forwardly and discharged from theapparatus.

Obviously, many modifications and variations of the invention ashereinbefore set forth may be made without departing from the spirit andscope thereof, and therefore only such limitations should be imposed asare indicated in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An apparatus for trimming fat from the underside of an animal tongue,said apparatus comprising: retaining means for supporting a tongue withthe underside of said tongue disposed downwardly; lifting means forgradually raising the tip end of said tongue; and severing means forcutting the fatty tissue from beneath said tongue, one of said severingmeans and retaining means being movable with respect to the other.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 including restraining means to hold the rearof said tongue on said retaining means.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 including resilient means pressingdownwardly on an intermediate portion of said tongue.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 including means to move said retaining meanslongitudinally.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the lifting means is connected tothe retaining means and is moved upwardly when the latter is movedforwardly.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 including cutting means for separating thegullet portion of a tongue from the mouth portion at a location to therear of said retaining means wherein the mouth portion is supported.

7. An apparatus for trimming fat from the underside of an animal tongue,said apparatus comprising: a frame, a carriage mounted for transversemovement upon said frame; a tongue retaining means recipcrocably mountedon said carriage for longitudinal movement thereon; a lifting platepivotally connected to said retaining means and extending forwardlythereof; uprights fixed to said carriage forwardly of said retaining.means; said uprights being spaced to receive said retaining meanstherebetween, and having inclined slots for guiding said lifting plateupwardly as said retaining means is moved forwardly; and a horizontallyrotating knife on said carriage positioned in the path of said retainingmeans, said knife positioned to sever fat from the underside of a tongueheld in said retaining means as the tip thereof is lifted by said plate.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 including a vertically rotating knifesupported on said frame adjacent said carriage for cutting the gulletfrom said tongue to the rear of said retaining means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,590,747 3/1952 Birdseye 1461302,738,545 3/1956 Stevenson et a1. a- 17-2 XR 3,075,236 l/1963 Mann etal. fl m 17-1 LUCIE H. LAUDENSLAGER, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R.

